Knowledge and Risk Factors of Lassa Fever among Household Members in a Rural Community in Edo State, Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Lassa fever (LF) affects about two million people and causes 5000-10,000 deaths annually in West Africa. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and risk factors of LF among householders in Akhulowa community in Edo State.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out among all consenting eligible participants. Data collection was by structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and an observational checklist used to assess the housing conditions. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22.0. Univariate and bivariate analysis were done and p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: There were 220 respondents with a mean age of 37.9±13.2 years and more females 127 (57.7%). One hundred and four (47.3%) of the respondents had secondary education. One hundred and ninety-one (86.8%) of them were aware of LF, out of which 112 (58.6%) had good knowledge. Higher education level (p=0.045), being employed (p=0.001) and lower household income (p=0.010) were significantly associated with good knowledge of LF. One hundred and fifty-eight participants (71.8%) had low risk assessment score for LF. Being employed (p=0.001); having stayed < 20 years in the community (p=0.001) and lower household income (p=0.004) were significantly associated with high risk of LF. One hundred and twenty-nine (58.6%) and 74 (33.6%) of the households had open refuse dumps and overgrown vegetation around their houses, respectively.
Conclusion: The study revealed a knowledge gap with majority of the respondents having low risk of LF. Repeated risk communication messages concerning LF should be delivered by the state and local government to households in the community.